James L. Clark

James L. Clark (18 November 1883 in Providence, Rhode Island – 1969), was a distinguished explorer, sculptor and scientist. Following his studies at the Rhode Island School of Design and his training at the Gorham Silver Company, he worked at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. In 1908, he spent time studying wildlife in Wyoming, and then traveled to Africa with Arthur Radclyffe Dugmore to take photographs for Collier's Weekly. On this trip Clark produced the "first film to record African wildlife." He brought back specimens for hunters like Theodore Roosevelt and for American museums. He returned regularly to Africa and also traveled to Asia to collect zoological specimens. Clark was a member of the National Sculpture Society, the New York Zoological Society, and the American Geographical Society.

In 1902, director of the American Museum of Natural History Harmon C. Bumpus hired Clark, who was known for his skill in animal sculpture. While working in the employ of John Rowley, Clark sketched animals at the Central Park Zoo and the Bronx Zoo. Bumpus wanted to develop a staff at the AMNH capable of producing the realistic, natural displays that Carl Akeley had created as Chief Taxidermist at the Field Museum from 1896 to 1909. Akeley was considered to be the "father of modern taxidermy". He was persuaded to mentor Clark and they became lifelong friends as well as colleagues.

"Akeley had developed a new lifelike taxidermy method in which the animal’s musculature was sculpted over the skeleton. A lightweight mannequin was then cast from the sculpted body and the tanned skin adhered to it. Clark and Akeley both had great talent; they loved nature, art, and working on all things mechanical... Clark returned to the AMNH and kept in constant communication with Akeley, adopting Akeley’s taxidermy method of sculpting animals bodies, creating mannequins, and adding skin." Peabody Museum of Natural History 2010

...
Wikipedia